Howard Habegger: a committed mission leader remembered
ELKHART, Indiana (Mennonite Mission Network) — Howard Jay Habegger tended to the church in North and South America. A leader in God’s mission, Habegger was born Sept. 6, 1932, in Berne, Indiana, and died Dec. 28, 2018, at Schowalter Villa in Hesston, Kansas. Howard Habegger circa 1970. Habegger dedicated himself to ministry through teaching, pastoring, […]
Peruvian Mennonite Church ministers with all ages
Peruvian Mennonite Church ministers with all ages Every Wednesday and Friday afternoon, Paul and I head to the neighborhood of Monte de Sión on the outskirts of Iquitos, Peru, to teach English. Our students range from 8 to 15 years old, and as some of them also study English in school, their knowledge of the […]
A gut-punch of the divine: a redefining of faith
Several weeks into my year of Mennonite Voluntary Service (MVS), my pastor, Ruth, preached about faith as "a brush with the divine." I grasped eagerly at that idea and have held onto it tenaciously ever since. I was always taught, per the book of Hebrews and the teachings of Thomas Aquinas, that faith was "the […]
Indonesian Fried Rice
NEWTON, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network) – Nasi goreng (fried rice) may not be the official dish of Indonesia, but it’s certainly one of the most popular. And, like any culinary cultural staple, there’s no consensus on the exact recipe. In central Java, where I lived for a year with Journey International, nasi goreng was made with plenty of kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) to give […]
Anabaptist wings help fledgling churches in Thailand take flight
CHIANG MAI, Thailand (Mennonite Mission Network) – On the outskirts of Chiang Mai, Thailand, down a narrow dirt road, a plot of land sits enclosed by a weathered concrete wall. Leafy banana trees arch over the wall, framing the mountains that stretch out along Thailand’s northern region. Rev. Ponchai Banchasawan, president of a governmental religious […]
Alternative education center honors indigenous knowledge
J. J. CASTELLI, Argentina (Mennonite Mission Network) – Bilingual education for indigenous youth in northern Argentina has been key to opening doors to more opportunities. The model not only integrates their language, but also their worldview. Specifically, in the Toba-Qom community in Castelli, Argentina, Mennonite Mission Network workers have found creative ways to support this education […]
Joy of the Lord under fire in Ukraine
ODESSA, Ukraine (Mennonite Mission Network) – Explosions shook the ground for hours as a fire raged through a munitions depot in Ukraine. Church members with cars rushed to ferry people out of the neighborhoods closest to the blaze. Repeated blasts shattered all the doors and windows in the church building they had constructed themselves. For […]
Missionary in Asia served in churches, health and children’s ministries
NEWTON, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network) – Belva Unruh, who served as a long-term mission worker in both Japan and Taiwan, died Nov. 20, 2018. She was 94. Unruh was born Sept. 1, 1924, in Freeman, South Dakota, to Anna (Tschetter) and Edward Waltner. After graduating from Freeman Academy, she attended Bethel College in Newton, Kansas, […]
Let there be peace on earth
Let there be peace on earth Let there be peace on earthAnd let it begin with me;Let there be peace on earth,The peace that was meant to be. With God our creatorWe are family,Let us walk with each other In perfect harmony. Let peace begin with me,Let this be the moment now;With every step I […]
Melding ministry with medicine
NEWTON, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network) – For more than 120 years, Mennonites have realized Jesus’ call for holistic ministry through founding and serving in clinics and hospitals around the world, often through alternative service programs organized in response to military drafts. Many of these organizations became fixtures in the communities in which they were built, […]
Pursuing pigeons, catching vision of global church
NEWTON, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network) – The Youth Venture group bound for Barcelona, Spain, needed something more than rounds of Dutch Blitz played in airport terminals to break the ice between the newly acquainted participants. Their breakthrough came while trying to catch a pigeon. The six participants and two sponsors that made up the Youth […]
Mission in classroom, office and kitchen
NEWTON, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network) – Susanna Marie Duerksen Kleinsasser, who served as a long-term mission worker in India, died Oct. 27, 2018. She was 96. Kleinsasser was born in the village of Hotevilla on the Hopi Reservation of Arizona, May 24, 1922, to John and Susanna (Quiring) Duerksen, who served as mission workers in […]